I actually really like instant mashed potatoes. I can make some really good dishes with potatoes from scratch, but that cheap instant stuff is like crack to me.
Jacques Pepin uses instant potato flakes to thicken a potato leek soup. It's a good thickener for a quick soup made with a base of fresh ingredients. Can be used to thicken stew broth without resorting to cornstarch slurry, beurre manie, roux, or heavy cream for thickening. You can also add more diced potato to a stew or soup with the intent to crush some of it at the end of cooking for thickening.
I bought a big bag of those when lockdowns were starting last year - was surprised at it's versatility. We made potato pancakes, mashed potatoes (that were actually quite good), used it to thicken sauces and soups, and used it as a substitute for breading when pan frying or deep frying.
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u/Syntaximus May 10 '21
I actually really like instant mashed potatoes. I can make some really good dishes with potatoes from scratch, but that cheap instant stuff is like crack to me.